treble clef

American

noun

Music.

a sign that locates the G above middle C, placed on the second line of the staff, counting up; G clef.

treble clef British

noun

music the clef that establishes G a fifth above middle C as being on the second line of the staff

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of treble clef

First recorded in 1795–1805

Compare meaning

How does treble-clef compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

bass clef vs. treble clef

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

treble clef

Tyler's coffin was designed by her family to reflect her love of music, with a microphone and treble clef engraved on each side.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Prosecutors showed a 2012 memo noting one such arrangement for Calamari Sr. bearing the former president’s initial - a D resembling a treble clef - and the handwritten notation, “OK.”

From Washington Times ● Nov. 10, 2022

Prosecutors showed a 2012 memo noting one such arrangement for Calamari Sr. bearing the former president’s initial — a D resembling a treble clef — and the handwritten notation, “OK.”

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 10, 2022

Dede chose a tattoo design that features a one-of-a-kind treble clef, fish hook, ribbon and heart on her right forearm.

From Fox News ● Nov. 1, 2021

A very small "8" at the bottom of the treble clef symbol means that the notes should sound one octave lower than they are written.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023